Celebration supper, Indian-style

Celebration supper, Indian-style

Instead offering the usual fare for this year’s Holiday dinner, why not break with tradition by adding Indian food to the menu?

Even though Christmas is not celebrated in the Hindu religion, nothing is stopping you from drawing inspiration from the delicious flavours and aromas of Indian cuisine in an effort to put together a meal that will make a lasting impression on your loved ones and guests. Here are a few ideas for an Indian-style holiday menu to help get you inspired!

To start off right, you can serve some savoury appetizers such as samosas. These little triangular pastry pockets filled with meat, veggies and spices will have your guests convinced that the flavours of Bombay are the way to go! Accompanied with a little sweet dipping sauce, these little fritters are simple crunchy goodness!

Then, for your main dish, why not prepare a tandoori style chicken; a very popular dish in the land of Gandhi. Even though the original version is cooked in a clay “tandoori” oven, there are other versions of the recipe that can be made in a regular oven. Tandoori chicken is made with yogurt, garlic, ginger, curry, paprika, cumin and coriander. You cook it slowly to allow all the flavours to absorb into the skin of the bird. Add seasoned vegetables, basmati rice and some warm naan bread on the side and you will give the impression of being on a gastronomic voyage of discovery.

For dessert, it might be interesting to offer your guests barfi; a delicate, melt-in-your-mouth Indian sweet treat. If you like spicy yet sweet desserts, try it and you will be won over completely… These little squares made with condensed milk, sugar, semolina, butter and cardamom are quick and simple to make. You can also substitute the semolina with almonds.

So does that give you a few ideas to get you started? It’s guaranteed to be a special Christmas dinner like no other! And no doubt you will get some rave reviews!